Image via Savannah Bee

"It's been hand-squished out of a bee's backside. And not any old bloody bee. It's the bloody Gucci of bees, darling." --Eddy Monsoon, Absolutely Fabulous

And so marked our introduction to royal jelly, if not just a little skewed by the small-screen queens of British comedy. But we know better now.

Royal jelly is a precious by-product of bees, pumped full of vitamins, proteins, fats and amino acids. Lucky for us non-bees, the Savannah Bee Company has combined the superfood with beeswax, propolis (the sticky resin bees use to seal cracks in their hives) and pecan butter to create a luxuriously rich body treat, housed within a sleek glass jar, further encased within an adorable (giftable) red box. A first whiff greets you with the delicious scent of blackberry, but we promise you won't end up smelling like a jar of jam. The formula quickly sinks in to reveal a faint hint of sweetness and--more importantly--soft, soft skin.

Image via Drugstore.com

Yes, yes and YES!!! Some of us detest sunscreen in the summer because it ends up congealing into an oily puddle on our chin after a hot day out, and to be perfectly honest, if you're not re-applying your sunscreen regularly throughout the day, clinical trials have shown that you might as well have nothing on. Enter these portable godsends: UVA/UVB SPF 30, paraben-free, water-resistant, antioxidant and vitamin-infused moistened wipes that deposit all the sunscreen protection you need, plus skin benefits as well. They've already won a National Parenting Publications Award, but I give them the unofficial Most Innovative Addition to Summer Skincare honors. So there. Buy 'em here.

It's been a long time since I viewed anything that C&E produced as "exotic," (it's hardly so when you can find their stores in every mall alongside American Eagle Outfitters). Still, their new Nadira line, inspired by French Morocco, does seem to accomplish an air of individuality with its gorgeous packaging and incorporation of scents like rose, jasmine, gardenia, sandalwood and clove. I wouldn't go so far as to wear the Eau de Toilette, but the Body Oil Spray is the perfect antidote to smelling like a coconut this summer! A markdown so early after a product's release can't bode well for the line's shelf life, but their loss is your gain. The whole line is reduced half-off right now.

Image via St. Ives

St. Ives lost me at that apricot scrub they make. I know, I know, everyone loves it, but you should not, I repeat, NOT ever exfoliate your face with that stuff. Still, I happened upon their new olive oil-infused face wash, and I love it as a default I-need-to-remove-everything-even-my-eye-makeup cleanser that costs a total of $7.50. Let's be clear: This is not an all-natural product (the third ingredient is the detergent "Olive Oil PEG-7," which you can't buy in the gourmet section), but for the price, this is a satisfying, gets-the-job-done, standup skincare citizen.

Image via Amazon

When a 5-year-old can't stop smelling your arm and rubbing her cheek against it, you know you're onto something good. Ahava's Multi-Vitamin Dry Oil in Mandarin Cedarwood is going wherever we go this summer. The oil blends well into freshly showered skin, and with major antioxidants like omega-3 and omega-6 (and something we've never heard of called Dunaliella algae extract), it just might be a youth serum too.

Image via Nordstrom's

Our love affair with Dr. Brandt's Daily UV Protection SPF 30 (in Medium Bronze) is over and Clarins Super Restorative Tinted Cream SPF 20 (in Lichee)  is to blame. We're OK with a tad less protection during the work week, plus the Clarins cream over-achieves (and at $75 it should): It moisturizes, lightly illuminates, firms, evens out skin tone and protects against free radicals. Our other new daily go-to: Clinique's fabulously glossy but not at all goopy Superbalm (in Cocoa). Thanks to these two new treasures plus our trusty old Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks (in Velvet Plum), we have one helluva unnatural natural summer look.

Images via Jemma Kidd and Neiman Marcus

Jemma Kidd is the sort of girl you want to hate but can't. She's a gorgeous ex-model and English Countess (married to an Earl, natch) and a wildly successful makeup artist, but she's also quite sweet and good at what she does.

Image via Zirh.com

Why would a Product Fiend stray from the myriad women's moisturizers out there into the uncharted territory of men's products? When a product is as good as Zirh Protect, that's when! This surprisingly luxurious moisturizer instantly soothes dry skin, and it lasts all day...perfect for a base layer under makeup (I could actually feel it rinsing off when I washed my face at night). With none of the flowery-grandma smells of most women's products, we may be turning to the entire Zirh line, if we can manage to steal them away from the men in our lives, that is.